Close to a dozen fourth through sixth graders took over the Stewart County Public Library community room on Thursday, June 18, for an Iron Chef Jr. competition, and their families may never be the same again. Healthier, perhaps, but not the same.

By day’s end, a team of three students, Garrett Maria, Izabella Feijo-Everett and Noah McCutchen, had each been presented with a coveted iron skillet in which was mounted the statue of a chef. And while they were the winners of the day, each of the students participating in the four-day program really came out a winner.

According to Sharon Shope, Tennessee State University Stewart County Program Assistant for the Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program, TSU Extension and UT Extension had teamed up with the library to host the competition.

It was preceded by three days of instruction at the Stewart County Riding Club kitchen, where UT’s Annette Cole and TSU’s Shope taught 11 students the rudiments of nutrition, safety and cooking.

“We did a lot on food safety,” said Shope. “They now know a lot about food cross-contamination.”

She said the main skills they taught were handwashing, kitchen tools, knife skills, food safety, reading a recipe, plating and presentation.

On each of the three days, the students were divided into four teams, and each team prepared an entree and a dessert.

The menu items were not “kid stuff” but more like items on a high-end restaurant menu.

On Monday, they made Black Bean Corn Quesadillas, and a Tortilla Cone with Mango Salsa. Tuesday’s menu included Fish Stick Tacos and Churros with Chocolate Sauce. And on Wednesday, students made Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burrito Bowl and French Toast Wraps.

They were definitely primed for competition day, when they had to prepare an entrée and a dessert using their own recipe. For fun, a mystery ingredient was revealed on the day of the competition - tortillas.

Students had a limited amount of time in which to work, and the three judges, Stewart County Mayor Rick Joiner, Library Director Pam Riggins and TSU’s Deborah Goddard, circulated in and among the teams. Only judges, teams, UT and TSU personnel and media were allowed in the room during the intense and fast-moving event.

Each team was judged on cooperation, clean as you go, safety, hygiene, originality, presentation and taste, with the maximum total amount of points being 110.